Construction toy sets have enjoyed great popularity for many years and are particularly appreciated for their developmental and educational value as well as their amusement and play value. From the outset, such construction toy sets have been provided in a virtually endless variety of structures. However, all generally have included a plurality of interconnecting or interlocking elements which may be creatively combined to form relatively complex structures. Refinements have included the use of elongated beam elements together with interlocking coupling or connection elements as well as the provision of various operative mechanisms such as gear motor drives, cord pulley drives, and hand crank or windup drive elements. The interconnection of construction toy set elements have themselves been the subject of substantial variation and development. More recently, such construction toy sets have been provided using a multiplicity of elements formed of molded plastic material. Thus while initially formed of relatively simple metal or wooden interlocking elements, construction toy sets have become relatively sophisticated and complex in their structures due to the intricacies of plastic molding techniques.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,919 issued to Glickman sets forth a CONSTRUCTION TOY SYSTEM having a variety of molded plastic connector elements arranged to be joined with rod-like struts to form complex structural units. In the most basic form, the connector elements have one or more angularly related strut receiving recesses each arranged for lateral snap-in reception of a flanged strut.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,438 issued to Glickman sets forth a CONSTRUCTION TOY AND ADAPTER related to the above Glickman patent in which a snowflake-like connector defines a plurality of end receiving receptacles which releasably secure a corresponding plurality of struts to form a hub-like connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,039 issued to DeWitt sets forth a TOY LOG STRUCTURE having a plurality of elongated cylindrical "logs" each defining interlocking notches proximate the ends thereof. The log elements may be interlockingly coupled to form right angle connections suitable for fabricating a dwelling or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,954 issued to Brumlik sets forth a CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF MODELS AND THE LIKE comprising a pair of matable segments interconnected by a flexible strip. The segments join to form the element which has an elongated end adapted to receive and mount a tube and a bulbous end. The strap can be positioned to surround a structural member to maintain the elements in a selected locus with respect to the structural member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,718 issued to chatani sets forth an INTERCONNECTING TOY BLOCK ARRANGEMENT having frictional interconnecting toy blocks each defining an interior body cavity. The interconnection of toy blocks is achieved by a female coupler on each block extending through the cavity of an adjacent block.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,767 issued to Gelardi sets forth a CONSTRUCTION SET WITH INJECTION MOLDED AND EXTRUDED TUBE BEAMS in which straight and curved tube beams are formed having end joints separated from the elongated bodies thereof by flanges. The flanges are created to prevent the beams from pushing through when connected to connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,713 issued to Cheng sets forth COMBINABLE TOY BLOCKS having two different types of units, both of which are cubic in shape. The first unit type has a protuberance formed on at least one surface thereof and a depression is formed on each respective remaining surface thereof. The second unit has a depression formed on each surface thereof. The different types are fitted together by the extension of the protuberance into a depression on an adjacent block.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,198 issued to Forman sets forth a TOY BUILDING BLOCK ASSEMBLY having a variety of block-like members arranged for assemblage relative to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,450 issued to Blodgett sets forth a FLEXIBLE JOINT CONNECTOR for releasably joining a selected number of tiles together wherein each tile includes a plurality of receptacles adapted to snap lock with a retaining element used in common with other tiles to provide a composite object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,502 issued to Nelson sets forth TELESCOPING STRUT MEMBERS AND TENDONS FOR CONSTRUCTING TENSILE INTEGRITY STRUCTURES in which a plurality of elongated cylindrical rods are interconnected by a plurality of flexible string elements to form complex structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,132 issued to Fischer sets forth a HOLLOW STRUCTURAL ELEMENT having a circumferential wall and sidewall which closes over one of the axial ends of the circumferential wall and a cover member arranged to close the remaining end of the circumferential wall for connecting the structural element with other structural elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,611 issued to onanian sets forth HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TUBULAR CONNECTING MEANS THEREFOR having a plurality of interconnecting blocks each adapted to receive one or more cylindrical rods to form complex structures. In a related patent 2,885,822 also issued to Onanian, a CONSTRUCTION SET having interconnectable straight and curved elements is shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,118 issued to Lullo sets forth a TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE having a plurality of interconnectable elongated elements for forming lattice-like building structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,773 issued to Radna sets forth an AUXILIARY SURGICAL RETRACTOR SYSTEM in which a plurality of blade members are connectable in series by connector elements.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the construction toy art, and in some instances have enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, simple, low cost and easy to manufacture elements for use in construction toy sets.